It all began with a phone call, a piece of play-doh and a heart that was moved to help…
In December 2000, Renee Wood received a phone call that her sister-in-law’s father had passed away. With a new baby at home and unable to travel, she took to the internet to find the perfect gift…one that would be a reminder of the deep love her sister-in-law shared with her father, but at the same time, acknowledge her great loss.
Unable to find such a gift, she took matters into her own hands… literally. She used some play-doh and designed a teardrop pendant which a local jeweler then cast into silver. Combined with a verse she had written, she finally felt she had the perfect gift.
Soon after, demand for the pendant began to grow and The Comfort Company was founded to meet this growing need. By combining her training as a medical social worker with her soft heart for those who are grieving, Renee continues to pursue her mission of providing… Gifts of Hope for Healing Hearts.
Meet Renee Wood, MSW, Founder of The Comfort Company
Renee Wood obtained a Master's Degree in Social Work from Florida State University in 1989. She began her medical social work career in 1990 working as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) social worker where she assisted families in dealing with the loss or pending loss of a child.
She later worked as a renal social worker, aiding patients with end-stage renal disease. In 2002, Renee founded The Comfort Company, Inc. She is a social worker who lives with her four daughters in Geneva, Illinois.
Why Families Trust The Comfort Company
The Comfort Company is a safe, sensitive choice for anyone who wants to meaningfully acknowledge someone's loss. Every gift is chosen by a company founded on professional grief expertise, not just good intentions — Renee Wood holds a Master's degree in Social Work and spent years counseling families through loss as a NICU and renal social worker before founding The Comfort Company.
That expertise, combined with decades of dependable business operations and consistently high customer reviews, means you're sending more than a gift — you're sending something a grief professional would choose.
And unlike traditional funeral flowers, which fade within a week, our sympathy and memorial gifts are designed to last: a lasting reminder of support precisely when someone needs to know they haven't been forgotten.
Renee Wood (left) and Amy Palmer (right)
Our Mission
The mission of The Comfort Company is to simplify the difficult process of expressing sympathy by offering a meaningful selection of non-traditional gifts designed to acknowledge loss rather than to minimize it.